Romans 5:8: But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. John 4:13-14: Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of St. John is one that is touching and yet profound. In our journey of faith much is revealed to us: Jesus is the living water; Jesus forgives our sins; Jesus heals us from the wounds of sin; Jesus quenches the thirst of souls; Jesus gives us the hope of life eternal; He fulfills our deepest longings and desires; God loves us and brings us salvation.
What particularly appeals to us is that the Lord’s encounter with the Samaritan woman is personal. Jesus saves souls one by one. We are not just faceless members of a group. Jesus as God-man can befriend each man and woman, each boy and girl, down through the long march of time. He knows me by name and brings me His life. He died for me as if I were the only one in need of salvation. That is why I place my whole life in His hands, humbly repenting of my sins, knowing that they are washed away; that I am clean and refreshed; and full of His amazing and saving grace, His life. It is this life that gives me the hope of eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord’s kingdom is here already, but not yet fully come to its completion. Soul by soul the kingdom of heaven is built up.
In John 4 the image of water stands out. We see in it a prefiguration of the waters of Baptism. From the pierced side of the Lord, as He was nailed to the Cross, there came forth blood and water, which point to the waters of Baptism that are made efficacious by the power of His blood shed for us and by His Resurrection from the dead. Baptism is our initiation into the death and Resurrection of the Lord. We are freed from Original Sin and filled with God’s grace. For those baptized, the Lenten and Easter seasons give us the opportunity to reclaim what was given us at Baptism. This life can be lost and our souls with it. The other sacraments are necessary to maintain our Christian life and grow in it.
Most importantly, the blood clearly manifests the irrevocable mystical event of the Lord’s Sacrifice on the Cross and its renewal in an un-bloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine. At every Mass we are invited to enter more fully into His death so as to enter more fully into His Resurrection. There is no better connection with the saving Lord than at Holy Mass, because the Lord willed it so. Therefore, the Holy Mass is for those who dare to love as Christ loved us. We can’t do it without Him. This is the rhythm of the Christian life. The Catholic Church was born from the wounded side of the crucified and risen Lord for all peoples of all time. Authentic Christians identify with their vocation to daily turn away from sin through Christ and live more fully in Him. He did it all for me and for you. What is my response? Will Easter be real for me or not?